MUSINGS -- BRIAN TUCKER

Oprah, Lance Armstrong have their own motivations for their sit-down

Blog Entry: January 18, 2013 3:00 PM | Author: BRIAN TUCKER

Hey, did you hear that Lance Armstrong cheated?

Well, you might be the one person left standing who hasn't been bored to death of the pre-confession promos, the pre-confession Oprah Winfrey interviews, and — perhaps to make it worse — the post-interview interview with Oprah in which she expressed disappointment over the way the Tour de France cheater admitted to cheating.

The cynic in me looks at all this and ponders: Just how much of this might be tied to the fact that Oprah's OWN network is struggling for audience, and the only person her audience wants is, apparently, her.

Why Lance Armstrong admitted to this now, after years and years of strenuous denial and attacks on his accusers, is beyond me. But I'd guess it's somehow tied to either money or his future, given that few people want to be connected to such an outspoken cheat.

America loves a redemption story, but this ain't one of 'em, folks. Not even close.

I mean, would you buy a book authored by him, or pay for a ticket to hear him speak, or — worse of all — give to a charity he supports?

The only thing in sports harder to figure out might be Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o and his mythical girlfriend who he says he never met but his dad says he did and who Manti says he learned in early December never existed but who referred to her as though she did in a couple subsequent interviews.

That's just another reason why my pals in the sportswriting biz always referred to their newsroom locales as the toy department.

Never a dull moment.

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